Monday, July 18, 2011

This One's for You, Dad

My Dad loved a good bread. You know the kind that is all crusty on the outside but moist and airy on the inside. Something that your grandma (or mom) made and you could smell it baking in the oven before you walked into the house. But, my Dad was a diabetic so he had to limit the amount of carbs he consumed. I on the other hand do NOT limit the amount of carbs and absolutely LOVE a good homemade bread.
Growing up on Long Island, you had your choice of great bakeries. French or Italian. There was no shortage of the crusty loaves. But moving to North Carolina (living in a very rural SouthEast County) the closest I have come is the WalMart Bakery. Soft and White and Bland. Something that a French Baker wouldn't waste his spit on. So I had to learn to bake my own bread. I started with Unbleached White Flour - and it was good. Then started using Whole Wheat Flour - and it was better. And then I started to experiment with Sourdough. JACKPOT!!

It may take a while to grow the sourdough, but it is so worth it.

Growing with wild yeast

On a previous blog I explained what sourdough is and mine has been growing for a week. It was time to bake.

You see real sourdough bread does not use commercially manufactured yeasts to help it rise. It is made with wild yeast strains that are floating around. So my bread will taste different than sourdough bread made anywhere else. Unique to Honeycutt Road - which is where I live.

Rising dough

I can hardly wait. Oh Brown Betty!

If you get the chance and you feel up to a challenge, it is well worth the effort to make your own bread. Nothing can compare to a warm loaf straight from your oven.

And I'm sure that my father is looking down from Heaven on me and smiling. Waiting for a smear of goose fat with a sprinkle of salt to go with his. (It's a Czech thing)!